Compressible syringes, particularly molded compressible syringes, are generally known in the medical device art. Typical uses of such syringes include body irrigation such as bladder and wound irrigation and the dispensing or injection of liquids such as sterile water, saline solutions, liquid pharmaceuticals and other liquids, or semi-viscous materials capable of being dispensed from a compressible syringe, into, for example, a surgical wound or cavity.
A collapsible ampule is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,340,869 to Bane, patented Sep. 12, 1967, such ampule includes a bellows end section wherein the diameter of the bellows end section is larger than the diameters of the remaining bellows section and wherein the wall thickness of the rear wall of the bellows end section is less than the thickness of the forward wall of the bellows end section wherein upon axial compression of the bellows the bellows end section collapses into an inverted position with the rear wall lying close against the inner surface of the forward wall and having an inherent over-center bias which provides yielding resistance to initial displacement thereof out of the inverted fully collapsed position in the direction to expand the bellows section of which it forms a part. A one-piece disposable liquid-filled syringe is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,656 to Cornett, patented Oct. 25, 1983. The syringe disclosed in this patent includes a cap which an be removably placed over the tip of the syringe between uses to maintain the sterility of the contents of the syringe.
A one-piece molded syringe with tethered cap is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,242,422 to Schneberger et al., patented Sep. 7, 1993. The compressible syringe disclosed in this patent includes a fracturable closure seal formed integrally with the tip of a nozzle and which seal includes a closure cap which can be replaced over the nozzle tip after being removed to maintain the sterility of the syringe contents. The closure seal is connected to the syringe body by a tether and projections are provided on the syringe for engaging a correspondingly shaped cavity provided in the closure seal whereby the closure seal may be removably fastened to the syringe body during disuse.